The man who murdered Tashan Corpe was jailed for life today but the woman who helped him flee the scene walked from court.

Josh Farnham received a life sentence with a minimum term of 24 years for the murder in August of last year of Mr Corpe.

The 31-year-old from Odd Down was sentenced by a High Court judge on Monday, February 19, following a trial in Bristol Crown Court.

Mrs Justice Simler also sentenced Farnham's former partner, Rachael Smith, who was found guilty of driving Farnham away from the scene knowing he had killed Tashan Corpe.

Mr Corpe was just 27 when he was fatally stabbed in a fight on the landing outside a flat in Selworthy House, Sedgemoor Road, Foxhill, on August 13, 2017.

His brother, Devon Corpe, was also stabbed in the fight with Farnham that day.

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Sentencing Farnham, Justice Simler said: "Josh Farnham you have been found guilty of the murder of Tashan Corpe and with wounding Devon Corpe with intent, both with the use of a knife.

"The jury saw through the lies you told that you were attacked [by the Corpe brothers]...and acted instinctively to defend yourself. Neither was armed as the jury made clear."

The court heard what happened in the moments before Tashan was stabbed, when Tashan and Devon returned to number 51 Selworthy House to get Devon’s keys after an earlier playfight turned ugly following an afternoon of drinking.

Josh Farnham (Image: Avon and Somerset police)

Farnham came out onto the landing and lunged out at Devon with a knife, cutting him above the navel, before fatally stabbing Tashan at the top of the stairs.

Farnham then threatened Devon outside the flats, saying "you’re f**king next, you’re a dead man walking", and assaulted his own half-sister Louisianna Santillo, by grabbing her by the hair and pushing her to the ground.

Driven by Smith, Farnham left the scene at about 4.30pm and travelled via Trowbridge before being arrested outside a pub in Bradford on Avon.

After being surrounded by police, Farnham took a metal bar from Smith’s car and tried to escape by running across a canal bridge, the judge said. He swore at the two officers and threw the metal bar at one of them, injuring DS Williamson.

The officers managed to handcuff Farnham after tasering him and spraying him with an irritant substance.

While he was being arrested, he spat in the face of a female officer, who charged him with assaulting a police officer, to which he replied ‘f**k off’.

Justice Simler said: "Every crime of murder ends one life and harms many others.

"His father has lost his son and it is a terrible loss to suffer. Devon and Tyler have lost a brother and for Devon in particular who saw Tashan die in front of him...this loss has been particularly hard to bear.

"All members of the family have behaved with enormous humility and restraint. It is hoped that Devon Corpe does not blame himself for the death of his brother as the fault lies with one person and one person alone and that is Josh Farnham."

The judge gave him a life sentence for murder with a minimum term of 24 years. Farnham will also serve a further 15 months’ concurrently for the stabbing of Devon Corpe and the assaults, which he admitted as the trial began, of Louisianna Santillo and two police officers.

He is to remain on licence for the rest of life.

Justice Simler said: "It is to be hoped that he uses his time in prison in a useful way so that he can build a life if and when he is released."

Rachael Smith on the day of her sentencing at Bristol Crown Court (Image: Artur Lesniak)

Smith, 43, of Sedgemoor Road, Foxhill, was sentenced a couple of hours after Farnham to allow a probation officer to prepare a pre-sentence report.

The court heard that Smith was in court because of her short relationship with Farnham who had "filled a void in her life". The probation officer told the judge that Smith had been in a “very troubled and violent relationship” for a number of years before she met Farnham.

Smith regretted her actions and, since her arrest, has lost her home, her youngest daughter had been taken into care, and her mental health problems have worsened, the probation officer said.

"Certainly, since her arrest she’s struggled. She’s on a very high dose of antidepressants. She’s just a zombie from waking up to going to bed," she said.

She said: "Rachael Smith, you have been found guilty by a jury of assisting Josh Farnham to avoid arrest knowing he had killed Tashan Corpe."

The judge acknowledged that it must have been frightening for Smith to witness the first fight and see Tashan's body in a pool of blood after the second fight. She also acknowledged that Smith ran to ask Louisianna Santillo to call an ambulance and that Farnham grabbed her afterwards and manhandled her towards her flat to get her car.

"I accept you had little choice but to comply at that stage and that there was an element of panic and chaos to what happened next," Justice Simler said.

But, the judge told her, she subsequently had "chance after chance to raise the alarm to get help but chose not to do so".

In the hour and a half between leaving Foxhill and the pair's arrest, Smith drove Farnham to Trowbridge, where she stopped at a Tesco Express to ask for directions and at her mother’s to ask for petrol money, before driving to three pubs in Bradford on Avon to find Farnham’s uncle Jim Farnham.

Rachael Smith, of Sedgemoor Road, Foxhill, has a cigarette break during her trial at Bristol Crown Court (Image: Artur Lesniak)

The court heard Smith was a “loving mother, warm hearted and loyal” but someone who is “easily led and weak willed and enters into unsuitable relationships”.

"By entering into an unsuitable relationship with Josh Farnham you have paid a heavy price," the judge told her.

"This was a serious criminal offence that strikes at the heart of the justice system.

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Justice Simler gave Smith a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Smith will have to remain under the supervision of a probation for 12 months of that time.

She will also have to comply with an overnight curfew (7pm to 7am) for three months starting from tomorrow (Tuesday, February 20) and complete at least 20 days of rehabilitation activity, including a programme for domestic abuse victims and assertiveness training.

The judge told Smith she will be made to serve her prison sentence if she fails at any time during the two years to comply with any of the requirements of the court.

Smith nodded her understanding during sentencing and thanked the judge as she left the court.

Adrian Corpe, father of Tashan (Image: Artur Lesniak)

Tashan's father Adrian Corpe and his uncle Darren Corpe were in court while Farnham and Smith were sentenced. Smith’s daughters were also present.

In a written statement, Adrian Corpe said: "The past six months have been incredibly difficult following the murder of Tashan, who was a son, a brother, a nephew and a friend.

"We will never get over Tashan’s death.

"Justice has been served today for Tashan following the conviction and sentence of both Josh Farnham and Rachael Smith, both of whom committed despicable crimes against two of our sons."

The senior officer in the case, detective inspector Mike Buck, told the Chronicle he thought Farnham's sentence was "very appropriate".

"This was, in the end, a pointless murder which has devastated a family and has impacted upon the whole community," DI Buck said. "And, as the judge said, no sentence will make up for what’s happened and will not bring Tashan back but I hope that over the next 24 years Josh Farnham will reflect upon that."

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